SABIC Joins HPRC

SABIC, a global supplier of engineering thermoplastics, has joined the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC), St. Paul, Minn. The addition brings the number of HPRC members to 13.

“SABIC will play a key role in helping us to identify and define the best uses and applications for post-consumer recycled content,” says Tod Christenson, director of HPRC. “HPRC is unique in its focus on identification of recycling barriers and solution development along the entire value chain and SABIC’s expertise in plastics, diverse presence in healthcare and commitment to post-consumer recycling will provide valuable knowledge to our downstream and close-loop recycling efforts.”

“As a global leader in the plastics industry, SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business has a long history of positive contributions to the sustainable development and performance of our customers’ products and our own,” says Don Cianelli, Innovative Plastics’ healthcare marketing manager. “Improving the environmental sustainability of plastics, from production through use to disposal or to reuse, is important to our business, as evidenced by our broad portfolio of PCR and PIR materials. Because we work closely with our customers to help them achieve their sustainability objectives, we are strongly aligned with the HPRC’s mission to inspire and enable the healthcare community to implement sustainable, cost-effective recycling solutions for plastic products and materials used in the delivery of healthcare.”

EU Approves SCA Acquisition

The European Commission has approved SCA’s acquisition of the European tissue business of Georgia-Pacific (GP). The purchase was made for $1.635 billion (€1.32 billion) for operations with about 4,700 employees.

The acquisition is designed to strengthen Stockholm-based SCA’s position in the European tissue industry, according to an SCA news release in early July.

U.S.-based GP’s European tissue business, which consists of 15 plants in seven countries, will be transferred to SCA´s ownership in connection with the closing of the deal, which is expected July 20, 2012.

EU´s clearance requires the divestment of GP’s consumer tissue business in the U.K.(including production capacity), G-P´s Benelux consumer tissue branded business under the Lotus brand and some of G-P´s and SCA`s retailer branded business in Scandinavia (including production capacity).

Novelis to Establish UBC Buying Organization

Atlanta-based aluminum producer Novelis has announced it will establish a new organization for procuring used beverage cans (UBCs) in North America.

In a news release, Novelis says the new organization will make it “the largest UBC buyer” in North America. The announcement follows the company’s decision to withdraw from its Evermore joint venture with Alcoa effective August 31, 2012.

Novelis will procure all UBCs for its recycling plants in Greensboro, Ga., Berea, Ky., and Oswego, N.Y., directly through the new organization.

“This move is in line with our global strategy to enhance our scrap procurement and recycling assets to support our goal of achieving 80 percent recycled content in our products by 2020,” says Derek Prichett, Novelis’ vice president, Global Recycling. “The ability to independently control our assets and manage our business will provide us with more flexibility to execute our strategic plans. This is the primary driver behind our exit of Evermore.”

Novelis says it currently buys the equivalent of 40 billion cans each year, worth an estimated $1 billion. The company says it expects its global consumption of UBCs to grow to more than 60 billion cans by 2015.

Chris Anderson, currently supply chain manager for Evermore, will rejoin Novelis effective August 1, 2012, to lead the company’s new UBC procurement organization. He will report to Silverio Colalancia, director of recycling, Novelis North America.

In addition, the company anticipates a number of current Evermore employees will join the new Atlanta-based Novelis organization, which will include buyers placed throughout North America.

Novelis says it will continue to receive UBCs in North America exclusively through Evermore until August 31.

Novelis Inc. operates in 11 countries, has more than 11,000 employees and earned revenue of $11.1 billion in fiscal year 2012. Novelis produces aluminum sheet and foil products to the automotive, transportation, packaging, construction, industrial, electronics and printing sectors throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, an India-based integrated producer of aluminum and copper.

GM Touts Success of its Landfill-Free Plants

General Motors has announced that its Lansing, Mich., parts distribution facility has become landfill free, making it the 100th GM facility that is landfill free.

Along with eliminating any material being landfill, GM says that in 2011 it recycled or reused 2.6 million tons of material at its facilities worldwide.

“Our landfill-free program continues to strengthen our business by creating efficiencies, generating revenue and inspiring innovation with products made from recycled content,” says Mike Robinson, GM’s vice president of sustainability and global regulatory affairs. “It’s a mission that’s integrated within our business processes. Everyone here plays a role in its success.”

“One of GM’s secrets to success is its cultivation of a strong network of suppliers committed to recycling materials and keeping them in use,” says Steve Hellem, executive director of Suppliers Partnership for the Environment, a forum for automakers, suppliers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Their team regularly facilitates conversations, connects companies and even showcases creative recycling examples for others.”

In its first sustainability report as a new company, GM committed to achieve 25 more landfill-free sites and reduce total waste by another 10 percent by 2020. Since 1997, the company has reduced total waste by at least 43 percent.

In 2011, GM reduced total waste generated per vehicle by 5 percent at its global manufacturing facilities.

ESA already holds the remaining 50 percent stake in HKS and as a result of the deal will become the 100 percent owner, according to several news reports. The transaction is subject to approval from the European Commission.

Tata Steel indicates the transaction, for an undisclosed sum, is in line its strategy of focusing on its core activities. In the news reports, Tata Steel also says the business connections between Tata Steel in the Netherlands and HKS will remain active.